Japan Takes Historic Gold in Table Tennis

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:41 JST, May 26, 2025

DOHA — Shunsuke Togami and Hiroto Shinozuka gave Japan its first gold medal in men’s doubles in 64 years at the World Table Tennis Championships, rallying to defeat their Taiwanese opponents in a thrilling final on Sunday in Doha.

Togami and Shinozuka, ranked No. 5 in the world, fell behind 2-1 but came back to win the next two games and defeat Taiwan’s Kao Cheng-Jui and Lin Yun-Ju 6-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6.

It was Japan’s lone gold of the tournament, where it also took home a silver and two bronzes, and the first in men’s doubles since the duo of Nobuya Hoshino and Koji Kimura triumphed in 1961.

“We had declared our intention of winning the gold, but we didn’t really think we would do it,” Shinozuka said.

The victory comes in the wake of the decision to restore the single-gender doubles events to the Olympic program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

In Doha, Japan also got a silver medal in mixed doubles from Maharu Yoshimura and Satsuki Odo, and bronzes from Mima Ito in women’s singles and Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara in women’s doubles.